In 2008, Virginia CZM Program brought together a multi-partner team, representing many local partners, to create the Plant ES Natives: They’re Shore Beautiful Campaign. Virginia CZM has invested significant resources over its 25 year history on land and water-based habitat restoration and protection, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and increasing valuable native vegetative cover. The Plant ES Natives campaign has been a model for development of campaigns in other coastal regions.

Virginia CZM staff worked with Natural Heritage Division staff at the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation to delineate planting regions in Virginia's coastal zone, and to develop regional native plant lists - based on the new Flora of Virginia. A map of planting regions is now available for all Virginia - see below.

Comments about Regional Campaign Efforts:

"This is a great project that should be emulated in every region across the state. My Master Gardeners use this book at each of their plant clinics across the County- great job!"- Adria Bordas, VCE Fairfax County

"We use this project and guide as an example of what successful Community Based Social Marketing looks like at our Community Based Social marketing workshops." - Amanda Rockler, UMD Sea Grant (and CCLC affiliate)

"This guide has beautiful photos. We want to create something similar, can we use the photos?" - Chris Meyers, Anacostia Watershed Society

"This has been a great project for the region and an excellent example of regional collaboration- will you come speak about it at our next commission meeting?" - Mark Gibb, Executive Director of NVRC

"This guide is perfect for when I'm working with homeowners on landscape designs." - Adele Kuo, Landscape Designer

"Plant NoVA Natives has really taken off, I'm impressed by how enthusiastic people are about it." - Kirsten Buhls, VCE Arlington County

"I spent some time looking at your very well-designed and lovely website and the current version of Plant NoVA Natives publication. Kudos to you and your team for a job VERY well done!" - staff at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the level of interest the Plant NoVA Natives Campaign has received from people throughout the region,” comments Corey Miles, Northern Virginia Planning District Commission

“During a Native Plant Day at the store, sales more than doubled what they had anticipated,” says Janet Pawlukiewicz, Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society secretary

“Customers come in with plants circled in the (Northern Neck) guide and ask how they can get them,” one local retailer reported to volunteer campaign staff. The Rappahannock Record cited the guide as the “best regional catalog” in 2013.

A recent request from University of MD Extension staff led to Virginia projects and resources used in training of MD nurseries and landscape professionals. MD Extension staff commented afterwards that the contribution “helped to highlight the point that Maryland could be doing more to help its nursery industry grow and sell native plants.”

A member of the VNLA Executive Board expressed their gratitude: “Thank you again for getting a partnership in place to accelerate the availability, affordability and acceptability in the marketplace for Virginia grown, Virginia native plants in each physiographic region.”

The Plant Virginia Natives website is made possible by grants from NOAA to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program. Virginia CZM is a network of state agencies and coastal localities. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality serves as the lead agency for the network.